Something Like Destiny
by The Baroness
Summary: The stories of two ninjas' struggle through their respective lives and their eventual entwining. Title and rating are subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I can't be bothered to go back and get the specifics about Gaara's childhood so consider this story A/U. I own nothing.

* * *

**[Chapter 1]**

"There once was a child who was feared above all others. Though he appeared small, innocent, and fragile, he was unstoppable. He had a power inside himself that would not only protect him but would hurt anyone who tried to get near him.

"This child lived a lonely existence. Parents warned their children before letting them outside to play, to avoid him at all costs. Even his family looked upon him with loathing and disgust, always keeping a distance for their own safety.

"Was it any surprise that this child, who was not by nature cruel, turned into the very monster that they all believed him to be? And can you, with clear conscience, blame him for the torture and suffering he caused as he grew?

"This is his story, told by someone who always saw true—though could not always be true."

…

He clutched the stuffed animal closer to his chest, staring in horror at the scene before him. An assassin had been sent to kill him, again. It hadn't been as hard this time, he didn't even shed tears, but the sight of blood all over the walls he called home was something that he was still not used to. He had yet to notice the small red stain on his teddy.

He opened the front door and walked out, desperate for distance and distraction, willing the open air to flush out the coppery smell in his nostrils.

..

His toes squished through the sand as he walked. He had forgotten to put on his shoes but was not bothered. To him, sand was a part of him, and he enjoyed feeling it against his skin; it made him feel stronger and less like the scared young boy that he was.

As he walked, he stayed to the shadows of buildings as best he could. He did not want to attract the attention of the village people, they would only scream at him to stay away in that inhumane way.. yet they called him the monster.

It seemed unfair to him, to be handed this life without understanding why. He watched the normal children, their mothers doting on them, waiting while they played ball to take them home for a warm meal. He had no concept of what that must be like, but he saw their smiling faces and knew that he wanted it.

He continued peering around the corner of a shop at the frolicking children his age. He imagined what it would be like to play with them, to be a part of their world. He was snapped out of his day dream when the focal point of their game came rolling toward him. It stopped only a few feet away from him, beckoning him to join. Without thinking, he dropped his bear and walked out into the sun.

..

He didn't notice the girl running toward the ball until after he had picked it up. He held it out in front of him, his arms extended from his chest as far as possible. He raised the corners of his lips in an attempted smile and met her eyes. They were blue. He thought that they were lovely, a very happy colour. He contemplated how they resembled the colour of pictures he'd seen of oceans, drawn on scrolls, even while the eyes in question widened in horror.

He flinched when she screamed. For some reason, he hadn't been expecting it. His smile fell and he let go of the ball to reach out to her. She was too far away from him though, and she had already started running.

..

He didn't mean to. He had just wanted to catch her. To explain himself, for once. To have someone understand.

..

A glass of warm milk was set in front of him, delicately so that it hadn't made any noise against the table. Distracted, the child was not shaken from his reverie until he felt the weight of a hand on his shoulder. His eyes snapped up to meet those of his beloved uncle.

So many times had he gazed into those eyes and never once had he seen anything but goodness. The man now kneeling in front of him was the only anchor that held him to his life, and to his sanity. With this vision in mind, the boy did not consider that this person was capable of change; he did not realize that he could be anything more than what he saw on the surface.

He never expected things to end the way they did. It was the worst night of his life. And with that end, a new life began. And after that point, he swore never to look back.

..

He was numb. His heart no longer clenched painfully in his chest. He was unaware of the stinging on his forehead. He took no notice of the blood dripping over his eyelashes. He was reborn. He was everything and this corpse in front of him was nothing more—was never anything more—than prey for Sabaku no Gaara.

..


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N****:** Consider these two chapters the introduction. The chapters following will be longer and have more to do with the plot. I own nothing.

**[Chapter 2]**

"Born into a family of pride, power, and pomp, it is a wonder that she turned out as she had. It was widely agreed upon that it was directly caused by the death of her mother, some people going so far as to blame the woman for creating so many defects in her child.

"Personally, I think it had less to do with her mother's passing and more to do with fate."

A suppressed giggle sounded from below.

"That's alright, I didn't expect you to believe in fate. You're still young, you may yet learn. Try thinking of it as the pattern of the universe. There are patterns everywhere to be found in nature, cause and effect. All these things that seem to have come into existence for one purpose, and for that purpose they must wait until it is time for their destiny to be fulfilled.

"But then I'm getting away from myself. That is not the subject of this tale.

"Hinata Hyuuga was the heiress to one of the oldest and most powerful clans in Konoha. Her father was a very strong and proud leader; he looked over and protected every member of the main family and the branch. But he was cold and impatient and unfit to be a single parent to two lovely daughters.

"Especially with Hinata being the way she was. At every step, she was faulted for being so gentle and fragile. She was beautiful, to be sure, but she had no confidence in herself and it made her unsuitable in both fighting and political situations.

"Hanabi, on the other hand, who was five years younger than her sister, thrived despite the harsh climate, much like the grape vines in Suna. She grew to be a young lady and a warrior that her father could appreciate, much like a fine glass of wine..

"Hmm, darling can you get me a glass of-"

..

"Ahh. Now where was I?

"He took his position as head of the Hyuuga clan quite literally, focusing entirely on logic and facts and ignoring the elements of the heart. He knew that Hinata—whose heart, in his eyes, was her greatest weakness—could never lead the clan. Little did he know that her heart was her greatest strength and would lead her to a destiny far greater than he could ever have invisioned."

..

A soft knock sounded. The stern man sitting behind the desk looked up from the scroll in front of him but said nothing. He waited impatiently for the second knock, wondering to himself why she could not even manage to knock forcefully.

..

"Hinata, there is something important that must be discussed." She nodded demurely from her seat, saying nothing but watching with wide eyes as her father stood and began to pace. He started again, "Hinata, do you want to lead this clan?"

The young girl's eyes flashed with fear and confusion. She could not predict where this conversation would lead but she was reasonably sure that she would not like it. Before responding, she steeled herself and forced out a smooth, "Yes, father," stuttering only when she added, "T-to make you proud."

The narrowing of his eyes was her only indication that her answer had not been satisfactory.

"But what of your own pride? Must you always do things to _pander_ to others?" His tone was severe and she didn't dare answer, not only because his questions had been rhetorical but because she was certain that she would be unable to respond without stuttering. She lowered her eyes to her lap, focusing on her fingers fidgeting, grasping at her clothing.

"You will _look at me_ when I speak to you! I thought that you had at _least_ learned proper manners but you seem to really have _nothing_ to your name! And the name of Hyuuga no less.."

Her gaze snapped up automatically, used to following her father's orders without question or pause. She saw the anger in his face, the only emotion she ever saw directed toward her. Her eyes begin to burn and she knew that she would be unable to hold back the tears for much longer.

He closed his eyes briefly and his posture relaxed—as much as her father could relax. When he re-opened them, he was carefully devoid of emotion.

"Hinata, you are no longer the heir to the Hyuuga clan."

She was stunned. She didn't even notice as he left the room, leaving her to cry alone, silently, broken.

..


	3. Chapter 3

**[Chapter 3]**

The sun was setting over the sloping sand dunes of the desert. The wind was strong and the sky appeared to sparkle with all the small flecks of sand floating through the air. Despite the beauty that the weather created, the residents of Suna knew that this was a sign of a coming sandstorm. The entire city looked more like a ghost town as there was not a single person seen outside their home and each house with its windows and doors secured shut.

To the general population, this was a great danger. Depending on the intensity of the storm, it could last days and even destroy buildings. Food would be rationed, children would have to be cooed and calmed, and families would pool their strength to get through this. Even the wildlife was scarce.

To the general population, this was the nightmare of living in the desert; but to one young man, this was the only thing he had to look forward to.

Gaara strolled along the barren streets, feeling as though the entire city was his. He liked that idea, having a town to himself, no one else to bother him. He had no problem dispatching people but he enjoyed this feeling of calm and solitude. There were no fearing, hateful eyes watching him, no fleeing villagers, it was just him.

Just him and the sand.

He stopped and stood in the middle of the market square. He relinquished himself, relaxing in the only way he knew how, being no longer able to sleep. With closed eyes, he raised his face up toward the sky and spread his arms to the side. The sand caressed his face, almost lovingly, the only thing that could ever get through his physical and emotional barriers.

Sand was an extension of himself, as a samurai's sword is an extension to his arm. Sand was always with him, he was seldom without a layer of it over his skin for protection. Sand was his weapon and his shield, his companion..

Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, he tensed and whipped around. A butterfly. A stupid bug interrupted him?

It was dark brown, with patterns meant to resemble eyes to predators. The eyes in question were fluttering about wildly, visibly having difficulty fighting the winds.

Gaara had seen only a few butterflies—or was it a moth?—in his life. The species that were indigenous to the desert were adept in camouflage. Typically, anyway, clearly this particular one was not aware of this fact.

The winds were drawing it nearer and he saw the grains of sand embedded in its wings, weighing it down and no doubt hurting it. It was so fragile that something as simple as sand could hurt it, so _weak_. And yet, it looked so soft, like velvet. He wondered what it might be like to be touched by something that was not coarse and grainy, but instead gentle and _furry_. And alive.

Gaara lifted his right hand with his fingers outstretched toward the bug..

.. drew the sand around it, then clenched his fist. Crushing the butterfly as swiftly as he crushed the desire to be touched that had attempted to bloom inside of him.

..

He turned on his heel and walked. He walked until he reached the outskirts of the city, and then he walked some more.

..

Satisfied that he was far enough from the city to feel isolated, he stopped. Again, he raised his head up toward the sky. By now, the sandstorm had begun, and the winds were whipping up around him. Flushing all thoughts of the villagers far behind him, hidden in their homes, all thoughts of his father's plans for Konoha and his involvement, all thoughts of his siblings' fearful looks.. he raised his arms in front of him.

Frozen for an instant, he resembled a conductor, preparing his orchestra for a performance.

..

"And as he conducted his arms, entire dunes of sand were shifted by his power. Even the simplest movements of his fingers would cause waves of sand to sweep around him. The sandstorm that had been so strong before was trembling under his control."

..

He enjoyed feeling the wind fight against him and his inevitable victory over it. There were few who could say that they were more powerful than the forces of nature.

He could feel himself starting to smile and he realized too late that his control had slipped.

Before he could stop it, he felt the creature inside of him rising to the surface, poking and prodding as if testing his inner strength.

All too quickly, the game had ended, and reality crashed down around him.

He relinquished his hold on the sand and let it fall all around him. Controlling only enough sand to carry him back to Suna, he curled up in the fetal position and thought about his coming journey.

He had chuunin exams to prepare for.

..


	4. Chapter 4

**[Chapter 4]**

"What's a chuunin exam?"

The woman paused for a moment before answering. "The chuunin exams are a rite of passage. For young ninja, these exams are what decide their future—whether to promise further success and power or to distinguish their flame of hope forever. Some even lose their lives-"

A gasp interrupted her and she paused to let it all sink into the child before continuing.

"And one day, you will have the honour of trying your skills in these very same exams," this time she did not let the child's gasp interrupt her and carried on, softening her tone, "however this is not your story and it is not something that you have to concern yourself with for some time.

"This is about two genin who were about to participate in their first ever chuunin exams. In the end, neither would pass, but neither would die; and for both of them, it was a time of great growth, and I dare say they never forgot what an affect it had on their lives."

..

Even with the Byakugan, Hinata had never been able to read her father. He was a very stoic man, always veering on the side of mean and almost never nice, though sometimes patient. As she waited with her teammates in front of the gate separating them from their second challenge, she wondered what he expected from her.

As she was leaving that morning, he met her at the gate. She was caught off guard and stopped, wondering what in the world he would say to her. In the end, he didn't say anything; he simply nodded and put a strong hand on her shoulder. She didn't say anything either—she didn't think she could have if she'd wanted to—her mind just went completely blank and she stared up at this man in front of her, her _father_. He returned her gaze. And then before she knew it, he was walking back to the house.

She stood there, still as a statue, even after he'd left her sight. She wanted to hide behind the fence and activate her Byakugan and just watch him, hoping to gleam some clue as to what he was thinking, what he had meant by that gesture. But she neither had the audacity nor the time to do that.

Was he proud of her? She had passed the written exam easily, though she was a bit embarrassed that she didn't see through the test, that the point of it _was_ to cheat. Even going into the written exam, she wasn't nervous—admittedly, when Ibiki announced that one member of the team failing meant them _all_ failing, her hands began to tremble beneath the table. She had been thankful for the written exam because she knew that it would buy her time before the practical portion of the exam, namely..

..

"The Forest of Death!"

Yet another gasp erupted from the child and she wondered if she was doing more harm than good at this point.

"Come here little one, come sit on my lap. It's not nearly as scary as it sounds. Half the point of the chuunin exams was to frighten the young ninja, to test their response to fear. And as they stood outside the gates, waiting to face their fates, they all felt fear—or at the very least apprehension."

..

She was scared. She felt utter terror. She hoped that no one noticed how upset she was by it all, and if anyone _did_ note her, they would write it off as her usual shyness.

She glanced subtly to her two teammates, standing just in front of her, appearing to be in their own worlds. Shino appeared as calm and apathetic as usual, though the shape of his shoulder showed tenseness. Kiba, on the other hand, had completely lost his usual carefree attitude and was uncharacteristically serious. Even Akamaru looked like he had a determined expression on his face.

These two boys—soon to be men—gave her strength, and she knew that together they were strong. They would make it through this test, perhaps not by sheer muscle, but with stealth, intelligence, and timing. All their training would not be for naught and she wouldn't let them down.

..

She reviewed the rules in her head as she leapt from tree to tree with her team. Each team was given a scroll and in order to pass this test, they had to obtain the opposite scroll from an enemy team then make it to the tower, within five days. The only catch was that the scrolls were not to be opened and read. She would have to keep an eye on Kiba.

"Hinata, check the area for other teams," Shino said from in front of her.

She activated her Byakugan. "Th-there's a team hiding less than half a k-kilometer from here, just south of u-us. I don't r-recognize them, they're not from Konoha."

Shino came to a stop on the branch and swiftly jumped down to an area tightly enclosed by overgrown shrubs. The rest of the team followed suit and knelt down beside him.

"Can you see which scroll they have?" Shino's voice was blank but Kiba's face lit up at the prospect of completing the task so quickly.

Hinata blushed faintly and looked away, "N-no, I c-can't make it out f-from this f-far.."

Kiba grinned widely and nudged Hinata lightly, "That's alright, we'll just have to get closer!"

..

Their prey sat in the darkness of their camp site, presumably discussing tactics, unknowing of the beetles on watching, hiding amongst the surrounding trees. From the distance of eighty meters, Hinata could make out the symbols on their scroll. Luck was on their side.

Team eight had taken their time sneaking to their current location. They were even more patient in the coming hours, sitting in wait for nightfall, deciding that it would be the best time to strike. None of them required light in order to fight: Hinata depending on her Byakugan to give her sight, Kiba utilizing his sense of smell, and Shino trusting his bugs to lead him.

The other team would not stand a chance when they made their move.

..

"Despite the genins' lack of experience—compared to _some_-" she paused and winked, eliciting a giggle from her audience, "-they managed to take down the enemy team in less than three minutes."

..

The first step was distraction. A slow buzz rose to the west of the camp site, getting louder and louder until the three ninja could no longer ignore it as background noise. They rose to attention, standing side by side—their mistake—all facing toward the noise, expecting a beetle the size of a house to emerge from this hell of a forest. Instead, came a massive swam of blackness, quickly covering them. They swatted at the bugs and in their panic and adrenaline, they didn't notice their chakra being drained.

Step two was all about Hinata. She dropped from a tree branch and flitted gracefully to the closest ninja, now completely distracted and blinded by the bugs. A whispered, "Gentle Fist," was the only warning he got before feeling pin pricks along his spine and completely blacking out.

..

_One down, two to go._ She pivoted smoothly toward the next ninja and repeated the same movements, with lightning-fast speed. He dropped like a bag of flour, piled on top of his previous teammate, and just as Hinata turned toward the final opponent, she saw a fist swinging at her.

..

"But it didn't hit her! She ducked and jumped backwards, doing a flip in the air. He remained focused on her though, not daring to blink as he reached back and pulled his sword from its sheath.."

..

With her Byakugan still activated, Hinata could see everything plainly. She watched the sword come into view and she watched him ready it at his side as he ran toward her. She also watched as Kiba and Akamaru darted out from either side of him, tackling him to the ground. The sword went flying and the ninja was pummeled by the twins.

He had ceased moving but Hinata jumped over and struck his pressure points all the same, ensuring at least four hours would pass before any of them woke. She grabbed their pack and removed their scroll, showing it to the two boys as they began dragging the bodies of the unconscious nin into a hollowed out tree, hiding them for their own safety against the other, more bloodthirsty, participants.

..

"It was hard not to feel optimistic at that point. What had been expected to be hard had turned out to be very easy.. but everyone's luck runs out eventually.

"Ironically, this is also where the two were fated to meet."

..

They sped off through the forest in the dead of the night, looking for a place to make camp for a few hours, then heading for the tower in daylight. They went cautiously, anticipating danger at every turn. Their error was in expecting the danger to be their fellow nin, instead of the nocturnal creatures of the forest.

..


	5. Chapter 5

**[Chapter 5]**

_Smack._

_Grunt._

_Buzz._

"Ugh! Shino, isn't there _anything_ you can do?" _Smack._ "I'm dyin' here!"

"Kiba.."

"Don't 'Kiba' me! These mosquitoes are killing me! Do some of that _bug magic_ of yours!"

"Kiba.."

"_Shino!_" Kiba hissed.

There was a temporary silence as Shino turned his head toward Kiba, slowly and dangerously, successfully halting the boy's whining.

"Be quiet before you attract something larger." The warning was softly spoken but laced with malice.

Meanwhile at the head of the group, Hinata lead them with her Byakugan activated, checking the area ahead of them for any predators or other combatants. It was about an hour before dawn and the only thing keeping team eight company—aside from the morning dew, which was a refreshing odour as they traveled—was a large swarm of mosquitoes.

Hinata could not help glancing back every few seconds at Kiba's turmoil. Part of her wanted to stop and try disposing of them for him.. but another part of her found it quite comical. She suppressed the sudden urge to giggle and focused on what was ahead of them.

She could not yet detect the tower with her Byakugan but she was confident that they were going in the right direction. If they were fortunate, they would make it there by mid-day. It all seemed a little too easy though.

Granted, they were all a little exhausted; they had not slept since the night before and had decided together that they could rest after they arrive. At the time, Hinata simply nodded in agreement, but all she could think of was not holding her team back. She had expended more of her chakra than Kiba and Shino when they stole the scroll and this long run through the night, combined with an extended use of Byakugan, was taking a toll on her.

_Focus!_ She scanned the area ahead of them once again. Noting what appeared to be two very large praying mantises locked in a fight to the death, she subtly altered their course to detour around them. She could hear their chirping as they passed, though it sounded more like insane screeching.

_At least they're not attacking Kiba._

A small smile tugged at her lips at this thought but was quickly wiped clear when the boy in question suddenly yelped from behind. Both she and Shino immediately halted their position and prepared themselves for a fight.

..

A pair of wide eyes waited in anticipation for the continuation of the story.

"You see, Hinata had been so focused on what was _ahead_, that she had forgotten to utilize all of her 360 degree vision and not check what was dead _behind_ them."

..

Hinata would dwell later on how this was her fault, though by then it would be overwhelmed with a more sinking feeling of fear of what could have been. Presently, she felt only repulsion and the need to save Kiba from the jaws of what appeared to be a giant spider.

..

"You see, this species of gargantuan arachnid do not form classic spider webs. They are more like trap spiders.. except when they see prey coming along, they drop down and—utilizing all their weight and the speed of gravity—they then using their web as a bungee to pull them back up."

The child looked horrified.

"It's quite fascinating, really."

..

The spider had wrapped its bottom three pairs of legs around Kiba, the remaining pair were reared back and ready for a fight. With its legs extended, it was twice the size of Kiba and he looked like a stuffed animal in its cuddling grip, frozen with a look of sheer terror on his face.

The spider had already begun is ascension back up with its prize. Shino was ahead of her, jumping up branches in an attempt to get ahead of the spider and break its web. From there, the fall wouldn't kill it, but it might stun it, and at least it would stop its escape.

Staring up with wide eyes at the scene unfolding above, Hinata jumped down, landing softly in the heavily weeded field. Though the trees were abundant in the area and the leaves very thick and heavy with dew, the trunks were very thin. Looking around, Hinata suddenly felt very exposed. She activated her Byakugan—realizing, worriedly, that she did not remember deactivating it—and scanned the area. There was no sign of anyone but she still had an overwhelming sense of being watched.

Her gut feeling was dismissed quickly as the body of the arachnid collapsed in front of her. Luckily for Kiba, it had landed on its back. The sudden force of hitting the ground caused it to relax its legs. Kiba reacted immediately and jumped beside Hinata. A second later, Shino landed to her other side, just in time for the spider to gain its bearings.

Kiba, though slightly shaken, was excited at the prospect of pulverizing this creature. "Let's make this fast.. and dirty. Hinata, you pull off the legs on the right side and Shino can pull off the legs on the left. I'll pop its stupid little head off and then we can—"

Kiba was stupefied into silence.

..

"Just as this mighty spider was about to rear up on its back legs and jump at the group, the forgotten member of team eight swiftly ended the match."

..

It wasn't until Akamaru had landed on its back that Hinata noticed it.

She supposed that something had caused a small, hairline fracture to it previously. It would have been so small that the creature wouldn't even have noticed. But then the fall worsened it, causing it the crack to lengthen almost all the way down its back.

And the small white dog was the grain of sand that tipped the scale.

..

As Akamaru plummeted toward the spider, he uttered a victorious, "Yow-oooh!"

This was the only warning before he landed and the spider exploded into a mess of green guts and chunks of black carapace.

The members of team eight looked at each other and then at themselves before Hinata whispered, "There's a s-stream that way.." Gesturing to an area past the trees.

Shino sighed. Kiba was torn between laughter and disgust, his face twisted into a comic expression of confusion and near hysteria. Hinata lead the way.

..

"One of Kiba's strongest weapons was his sense of smell. It was how he tracked, it was the first warning sign for danger, and it was second nature to him. However, as he would find in the next round of the tournament in his match against Naruto—"

"He fought _Naruto?!_"

The woman simply smiled and continued, "—he would find that his superior sense of smell could also work against him. And covered as he was in goo, it was all the only scent that he was picking up on.

"Hinata and Shino both smelled it, but they did not realize until _after_ that it was abnormally strong. They dismissed the intense smell of sand, assuming it was created by the small river in front of them, despite their being none along its shores.."

..

The stream was in view. It was beautiful. The trees opened up above, letting in the rays from the sun, which had risen only minutes before. Each wave sparkled with the promise of cool refreshment, inviting them in. There was only an outcropping of overgrown bushes between them and their destination, but they would never reach it.

At the last moment, they all ducked down, hiding in a rudimentary fashion from the group of sand ninja that appeared on the opposite side of the water.

Hinata remembered seeing them, they stood out quite prominently. The female with her spiky blonde hair and a large fan strapped to her back. The boy dressed in face paint and what appeared be a one piece cat suit.

But the most striking of all was the smallest member of the group. At a cursory glance, the boy appeared weak. He was pale, short, and thin. He even appeared to be sleep deprived. He moved slowly as well. He looked.. defenseless.

_But_, Hinata reminded herself, _appearances can be deceiving._

The fact of the matter was that these were enemy ninja. They had no reason to fight them, they already had their scrolls. They just had to remain undetected and back track to continue their previous course, hygiene be damned.

..


End file.
